Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Buenos Aires and Taraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $1,656 in Buenos Aires, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Buenos Aires
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Buenos Aires Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index

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Buenos Aires

🇦🇷 Argentina

$1,656

/mo nomad

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Buenos Aires and in Taraz

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Buenos Aires and in Taraz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,656 in Buenos Aires versus $628 in Taraz.

Buenos Aires $1,656
Taraz $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,697 in Buenos Aires versus $1,004 in Taraz.

Buenos Aires $2,697
Taraz $1,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,737 in Buenos Aires versus $1,381 in Taraz.

Buenos Aires $3,737
Taraz $1,381

Living in Buenos Aires is roughly 164% more expensive than in Taraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Buenos Aires is 23% above, Taraz is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.09 ARS 29.0K

$8.97 ₸4,056

112.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 ARS 99.9K

$22.50 ₸10.2K

192.44%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.20 ARS 20.0K

$6.75 ₸3,051

95.56%

Cappuccino

$3.85 ARS 5,841

$1.53 ₸691

151.63%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 ARS 3,020

$0.85 ₸383

134.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 ARS 2,430

$0.45 ₸204

255.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.93 ARS 5,959

$1.13 ₸510

247.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 ARS 7,003

$1.81 ₸818

154.70%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 ARS 2,272

$1.09 ₸491

37.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 ARS 3,837

$0.43 ₸196

488.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 ARS 2,445

$1.30 ₸589

23.85%

Eggs

$2.84 ARS 4,316

$1.68 ₸761

69.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.30 ARS 15.6K

$10.13 ₸4,580

1.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.00 ARS 15.2K

$5.19 ₸2,346

92.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.30 ARS 20.2K

$8.39 ₸3,794

58.52%

Apples (1kg)

$2.88 ARS 4,366

$1.15 ₸519

150.43%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 ARS 3,334

$2.21 ₸997

-0.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,120

$2.48 ₸1,122

-43.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 ARS 3,004

$1.37 ₸621

44.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.21 ARS 1,835

$0.56 ₸251

116.07%

Onion (1kg)

$1.26 ARS 1,910

$0.40 ₸181

215.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 ARS 2,592

$0.91 ₸411

87.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 ARS 2,603

$0.84 ₸380

104.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.29 ARS 6,505

$2.42 ₸1,093

77.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.70 ARS 8,645

$4.41 ₸1,995

29.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 ARS 3,288

$1.04 ₸468

108.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.76 ARS 4,188

$1.54 ₸696

79.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 ARS 1,141

$0.18 ₸82.4

316.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$27.27 ARS 41.4K

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.57 ARS 2,375

$0.85 ₸385

84.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 ARS 1,558

$0.35 ₸158

194.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.90 ARS 12.0K

$4.07 ₸1,839

94.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.42 ARS 2,160

$0.66 ₸301

115.15%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$27.9K ARS 42.4M

$28.1K ₸12.7M

-0.60%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$35.0K ARS 53.1M

$27.6K ₸12.5M

26.62%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$195 ARS 296.2K

$47.60 ₸21.5K

310.08%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$25.16 ARS 38.2K

$8.76 ₸3,960

187.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.54 ARS 47.9K

$9.00 ₸4,068

250.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.9 ARS 77.3K

$35.98 ₸16.3K

41.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.73 ARS 25.4K

Cinema Ticket

$10.34 ARS 15.7K

$4.42 ₸1,996

133.94%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$463 ARS 703.2K

$58.8 ₸26.6K

688.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,793 ARS 13.3M

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$120 ARS 181.8K

$26.80 ₸12.1K

347.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$95.5 ARS 144.9K

$34.70 ₸15.7K

175.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 ARS 173.1K

$113 ₸50.9K

1.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$139 ARS 211.4K

$52.6 ₸23.8K

164.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$756 ARS 1.1M

$270 ₸121.9K

180.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$520 ARS 788.8K

$110 ₸49.6K

373.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,590 ARS 2.4M

$449 ₸203.2K

253.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,198 ARS 1.8M

$200 ₸90.4K

499.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,713 ARS 4.1M

$865 ₸391.1K

213.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,901 ARS 2.9M

$611 ₸276.3K

211.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$938 ARS 1.4M

$272 ₸123.0K

244.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

57.25

17.83

221.09%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Buenos Aires: October 11, 2026

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Buenos Aires

$520 31.4%

Taraz

$110 17.5% 78.9% $410

Groceries & Markets

Buenos Aires

$283 17.1%

Taraz

$178 28.3% 37.3% $106

Eating Out

Buenos Aires

$282 17%

Taraz

$125 19.9% 55.7% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Buenos Aires

$252 15.2%

Taraz

$65 10.4% 74.1% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Buenos Aires

$211 12.7%

Taraz

$102 16.3% 51.6% $109

Sport & Entertainment

Buenos Aires

$72 4.3%

Taraz

$45 7.1% 37.4% $27

Getting Around

Buenos Aires

$37 2.2%

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5% 91% $34

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $756 in Buenos Aires and $270 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Buenos Aires pays 245% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in Buenos Aires vs $22.00 in Taraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $178 per month, with Taraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 Buenos Aires

🇰🇿 Taraz

🕒 Local time

09:49 9:49 AM

18:49 6:49 PM

9 h ahead of Buenos Aires

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,891,082 Capital

431,160

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Buenos Aires Taraz 15,630 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Buenos Aires
Taraz

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Buenos Aires vs Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buenos Aires and Taraz differ by about 164% in total monthly costs ($1,656 vs $628 including rent). Taraz is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 245% higher in Buenos Aires, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $756 in Buenos Aires versus $270 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $463 in Buenos Aires versus $58.8 in Taraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taraz – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $66.0 in Buenos Aires. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Taraz versus $1,656 in Buenos Aires, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taraz but tight or insufficient in Buenos Aires. The gap between the two cities makes Taraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Buenos Aires and Taraz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Taraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Buenos Aires. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.